Motion Industries Ranks as a Top Company for Salespeople

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--Dec. 14, 2001--Birmingham-based Motion Industries, Inc., the world's largest distributor of bearings; mechanical, electrical, and fluid power transmission replacement parts; and hose products, has been ranked by Selling Power magazine as the second best service company to sell for, according to Motion Industries President and CEO Bill Stevens.
    Selling Power magazine identified and ranked the 50 best companies to sell for in the United States and published the results in the October 2001 issue. Motion Industries ranked second of the top 20 service companies to sell for, receiving a total of 81 points from a possible 90.
    "At Motion Industries, we know that the best strategy for serving our customers is having the best employees," said Stevens. "We are pleased that our devotion to our sales force has been recognized in this Selling Power survey."
    The Selling Power survey ranked companies with sales forces of 500 or more salespeople in three categories -- compensation, training and career mobility. Top sales executives, training managers and human resources managers were surveyed to determine rankings. Criteria reviewed for the compensation category included average starting salaries, incentive pay plans, company car availability and other benefit packages. Criteria for training included time invested in product knowledge, selling skills and follow-up training. Career mobility criteria included number of performance reviews, turnover in the sales force and the number of people promoted each year from the sales ranks.
    Companies received an overall score in each category, and the top 50 were compared to other companies in three general industry groups: 20 manufacturing companies, 20 service companies and 10 insurance companies.
    Read monthly by more than 202,000 subscribers, Selling Power is written for sales and marketing executives.
    Motion Industries has more than 500 operations across North America, including nine distribution centers, and serves industrial customers in the automotive, chemical, food, beverage, wood/lumber, iron, oil, pulp and paper, steel and textile industries. Well-known by industry leaders for providing high quality products and superior customer service, Motion Industries continues to be recognized with customer awards from many clients including General Motors and Bethlehem Steel. Motion Industries, Inc., with 2000 sales in excess of $2.34 billion, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company .

    Visit our websites at www.motionindustries.com and www.motionmro.com. Contact us toll-free at (800) 526-9328.